TLWSS 20

Chapter 20

The red eyes, shedding bloody tears, shouted while watching Song Seul-gi approach closer and closer.

-What the hell? She can see us? Why? She shouldn’t be able to see us unless we speak to her first!

“Thank you.”

Song Seul-gi came up and bowed deeply to me.

I asked the question I had been curious about.

“What do you mean Seul-gi tried to run away?”

“It seems someone told my brother a lie—that I was going to immigrate overseas with Gi-jin oppa. My brother came to confront me about it that day. But that was just an excuse. He was promised that if he killed me and framed Gi-jin oppa, his loan shark debt would be forgiven.”

-So in the end, it wasn’t jealousy. It was money?

The red eyes looked disgusted.

“Who made such a promise and told such lies?”

“It was the man sitting in the courtroom today.”

“Taeyoung Law Firm’s lawyer? To go that far…”

“I don’t know their motives. The reason I can’t pass on and remain with resentment is because the person I loved—and believed loved me—Du-sik oppa betrayed me.”

“What will you do about Kang Du-sik?”

“I spent seven years with him. There were times when we were poor but happy. If he hadn’t fallen into gambling, I would have trusted and followed him to the end. Even now, I want to go to the afterlife with him.”

The red eyes and I said nothing.

Song Seul-gi was a deeply resentful ghost. If Kang Du-sik was not taken away, someone else would be harmed.

Song Seul-gi, who had been about to leave us, paused for a moment.

“Please tell Gi-jin oppa thank you for everything. From the beginning, I approached him to use him, and in the end I only used him—but he treated me sincerely. He was a good person.”

Song Seul-gi slipped away and disappeared.

-Ugh… creepy. A virgin ghost’s resentment is really terrifying.

The red eyes shivered.

I silently organized the documents.

Kim Gi-jin invited me to his house just three days after his release.

We took a taxi up the steep mountain road of Buam-dong for a long while.

The red eyes sitting next to me clicked his tongue.

-There’s a place like this in Seoul? The view’s nice, but this climb is insane.

“I’ve never been here either.”

The pale green buds announcing early spring were sprouting all over Bukaksan and Inwangsan, washing away my fatigue.

It was said that Prince Anpyeong, the third son of King Sejong, once saw a vision of paradise in a dream and found the same scenery here in Buam-dong.

He reportedly fell in love at first sight and built a house here.

Indeed, it was a beautiful landscape.

After a while, we met Gi-jin waiting on the road ahead.

“Hyun-jae, thanks for coming all the way up here.”

Gi-jin looked almost like his old self again, free from prison wear.

-Ugh, smell this air. I feel like I’m growing lungs I never had.

As soon as we got out of the taxi, the red eyes sniffed the air.

The house Gi-jin led us to was unusual.

Passing through a normal-looking gate, stone steps appeared. Climbing them revealed a wide lawn.

Beyond it stood a large two-story house backed by a mountain, grand like something out of a movie or drama.

“I used to live in Seongbuk-dong, you know how it is there. Executives from big companies kept calling my grandmother day and night, so we moved here for peace.”

Standing on the lawn looking down at the city, Gi-jin suddenly hugged me.

“Did I ever thank you? I really mean it, friend.”

His voice trembled with emotion.

-The guy’s really emotional. Or maybe just a bit simple-minded?

“He’s just sincere.”

-‘Sincere’? Now you’re defending him?

The red eyes snapped.

“Ah-choo… must be the seasonal change. My rhinitis is acting up. Let’s go inside, Hyun-jae.”

Gi-jin led me into the house.

The red eyes followed grumbling, but stopped at the entrance.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

-I think I prefer outside.

“Are you scared of Mrs. Lee Hwa-young?”

-Scared? Who’s scared? I’m Red Eyes! I’m a powerful vengeful spirit!

His shouting hurt my ears.

“If you want to stay out, stay out. Come in when you change your mind.”

I went inside without him.

“Welcome, Attorney Yoo.”

Mrs. Lee Hwa-young greeted me.

Behind her, Lee Hae-mi bowed as usual, dressed neatly.

“You must be tired coming all this way. You must be hungry—let’s eat first.”

In the kitchen was a large marble dining table for twelve. Two cooks were setting dishes.

It was an extravagant table that made your eyes widen.

From ingredients to plating, it was no different from a high-end Korean restaurant.

Five place settings were arranged.

“Tell that wandering spirit outside to join us. As long as he behaves properly.”

Mrs. Lee smiled faintly.

“There’s a spirit outside? Hyun-jae, do you have a ghost attached to you?”

Gi-jin asked with wide eyes.

“You can see it too.”

“What are you talking about, Grandma? I can’t see anything.”

“You only think you can’t.”

“Come on, Grandma… just because I think I can’t see it doesn’t mean I—huh? Who’s that man coming in?”

As the red eyes walked in, Gi-jin’s eyes nearly popped out.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s sit.”

As Mrs. Lee sat first, everyone took their seats.

The talkative red eyes quietly peeked around.

Gi-jin pointed at him.

“Hyun-jae, since when has that thing been following you?”

-What? “That thing”?

The red eyes flared up.

Before I could answer, Mrs. Lee spoke first.

“Gi-jin, mind your words. What is your name?”

-I am Red Eyes.

“Red Eyes?”

-My original name is forgotten. Hyun-jae calls me that, so I became Red Eyes.

He answered surprisingly politely.

“Your eyes aren’t red though… were they at first?”

-Guess so.

He shrugged.

“Then why do you speak informally to me?”

-Because I can.

“How old are you?”

-I’m older than you, kid.

“What? Kid?”

They bickered until Mrs. Lee intervened.

“Enough. The deeper the resentment, the redder the eyes of a spirit. What is your grievance?”

-I don’t remember my name or where I lived. I only remember being an ordinary high school student who got into a traffic accident. After that I became a ghost. At first, it felt like my chest was going to burst. After meeting Hyun-jae, that pain eased a bit.

Silence fell.

Everyone seemed to pity him.

Mrs. Lee broke the silence.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

The table was filled with marinated short ribs, fresh sea bream and croaker sashimi, tender bossam, spicy stir-fried octopus, soybean paste soup with wild greens, and a lavish hot pot.

Every dish was so good it demanded attention.

Even the red eyes focused on eating.

“Hae-mi, when did you first see the red eyes?”

Gi-jin asked.

“From the beginning.”

Both the red eyes and I turned to look at her.

She had seen him all along without showing any reaction…

Despite being in her early twenties, she behaved like a mature adult.

“So I was the only one who couldn’t see?”

“You weren’t unable to see. You just believed you couldn’t.”

“What does that mean, Grandma?”

“Do you remember when you were about ten? You were scared because you said you could see ghosts. I told you then that you wouldn’t see them anymore.”

Gi-jin thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Oh… I remember. You placed your hand on my eyes and said something like a spell.”

“You were born with spiritual sight. When you were young, you played with spirits often. But around ten, you became afraid, so I sealed your sight.”

“Then why can I see again now?”

“Because this incident shocked you deeply. Your spiritual sight reopened.”

“So you can tell who has spiritual sight?”

“Yes. Their eyes are different.”

Listening, I realized Mrs. Lee likely saw far more than I did.

As expected of a high-level shaman.

Suddenly, both Gi-jin and the red eyes sniffed at the same time.

“So that’s why I get a stuffy nose whenever I get near Hyun-jae… it’s because of you.”

Gi-jin lowered his finger under the red eyes’ glare.

“Even with your sight sealed, you can still feel spiritual energy.”

Mrs. Lee nodded with a smile.

“It’s okay, Grandma. I’ll have to get used to this now.”

“Yes.”

The atmosphere suddenly grew quiet.

“Hyun-jae, I’ve decided to receive a shamanic initiation.”

“What?”

Gi-jin explained calmly.

“I’ve had spiritual sensitivity since I was young, but Grandma suppressed it every year. After this incident, I can’t delay it anymore. I’ll receive the initiation ritual from her.”

Gi-jin becoming a shaman felt strangely out of place.

“Everyone has their destiny. Very few can escape it. I tried to change yours, Gi-jin, but you’ve returned to your fate.”

Mrs. Lee sighed softly.

“So I can’t drink or go out and have fun anymore… I’ll have to go pray in the mountains with Grandma all the time…”

Gi-jin muttered in a downcast voice.

-That’s hilarious.

The red eyes blurted out, then quickly realized everyone was listening.

-I mean… peanut sauce is tasty…

Someone snickered—Gi-jin.

The mood brightened again.

After the meal, we moved to the living room.

Coffee, tea, and desserts were prepared.